Life with Dylan

Category: conservation

  • Endangered Species Monday – Orangutan

    When I see an orangutan I can’t help but smile. These animals are so animated and they definitely have individual personalities. 

    Orangutans are also very much like humans – from their mannerisms to their emotional expressions. In fact, orangutans are closer to humans than you may think. They share 96.4% of our genetic makeup, which makes orangutans genetically closer to humans than any other animal. The female orangutan is considered to be one of the most caring and gentle mothers in the animal kingdom. 


    Some young orangutans will stay with their mother up to eight years; nursing for the first three years and then learning how to fend for themselves. 

    Although orangutans live a mostly solitary life, they create bonds that last a lifetime. It has been said that these bonds are renewed during forest encounters later in life. Aside from the nurturing and bonding, orangutans are highly intelligent animals that learn many things from copying. On several occasions, I have watched the orangutans at the San Diego Zoo cover up with large leaves or a burlap sack when it is raining. That is a pretty smart orangutan!



    Orangutans once lived all over Southeast Asia, but now only inhabit the warm tropical jungles of Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammal and are 100% dependent on the rainforest for survival. This being said, you can see why habitat conservation is so important. 


    From 1980-1990 heavy logging and land development reduced the orangutan population by 50%. Large forest fires destroyed more habitats in 1997. Today, the harvesting of palm fruit for the palm oil is one of the main causes of habitat loss for the orangutan. Palm oil is in everything from cookies, chocolate and cosmetics to biodiesel and unfortunately is not always labeled as palm oil. 


    A sign at the San Diego Zoo educates people about palm oil

    Recently there has been a lot of talk about the health benefits of palm oil and people are now actively looking for products with palm oil. This is not good for the survival of orangutans. If you must buy palm oil, then please support the companies who are members of the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) You can find a printable shopping guide here. 


    Educating people and making them aware that our actions have a direct impact on the rainforest is imperative to saving endangered species. To save the orangutan we must first save their home. All attempts that we make to save the orangutans will ultimately fail unless we can assure that their quickly disappearing rainforest home will be there for many years to come.

    For more inofrmation on the palm oil crisis and what you can do to help visit the Cheyenne Mountian Zoo website.

  • The mind of a child wonders … Why?

    The other day my son began asking me questions. Questions that I could not answer.
    Good questions. In fact, amazing questions!

    WHY do people have to kill rhinos for their horns?

    WHY do people have to kill tigers for their fur?

    WHY do people have to harvest palm oil fruit from the rain forest?

    WHY do people have to kill elephants for their tusks?

    WHY do people have to be cruel to the animals?

    WHY do people have to litter at the zoo?

    WHY don’t more people recycle?

    WHY do people not take conservation seriously?

    WHY do people have to cut down the rain forest?

    WHY don’t people care about these things like I do?

    I decided to use his questions for a blog post because I began to wonder …


    WHY does a 9-year-old child question these global issues, when so many adults do not?

    Photo courtesy of Dylan Fryer.

  • Endangered Species Monday – Amur Leopard

    Photo by Penny Hyde

    Most people associate leopards with Africa or the snow leopard with Asia, but there is another leopard that deserves some attention – the Amur leopard.

    The Amur leopard does not live in Africa. This rare subspecies lives in the Russian Far East. They are one of the most stunning cats I have ever seen. Sadly, the Amur leopard is critically endangered with only around 30 left in the wild. 


    While habitat destruction is partially to blame, it is not the main reason for the decline in the species. The bigger problem is poaching and over hunting of the Amur leopards prey. As with other animals that have beautiful fur, the Amur leopard is hunted for its spotted fur and there is an insufficient amount of prey to sustain a large population in the wild.



    Once an animal reaches critically endangered status, strong measures need to be taken to ensure the survival of the species. In this case, an international conservation program was established. Although some people have mixed feelings on keeping wild animals in captivity, the conservation efforts made by several well-known zoos in the United States have helped increase the captive population to hundreds. In my opinion, this is conservation at its finest. Job well done.


    Photo by Deric Wagner

    In April 2012, the San Diego Zoo was fortunate to have three Amur leopards join their family. Koshka, Primoyre, and Zeya are siblings who arrived as part of the international conservation program designed to help save the Amur leopard. When they arrived they were playful 11 month old babies – running and jumping all over the place. I have been lucky enough to see these siblings on several occasions and they are so much fun to watch. However, when I watch them play I have mixed emotions. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to see such an amazing animal, yet I can’t help but feel sad knowing how critically endangered they are in the wild.





    Yes, there are other species of leopards … but there is only one Amur leopard. 


    Photo by Penny Hyde



    Special thanks to my friends Deric and Penny for allowing me to share your beautiful pictures of the Amur leopards from the San Diego Zoo. 



  • Endangered Species Monday – Pangolin

    I will go out a limb here and guess that most of you reading this have never heard of a pangolin, let alone seen a pangolin. They are not the most common animal, but that doesn’t mean that their endangered status is any less important. As I have said before, I believe education and awareness are the cornerstones of conservation – so let me tell you about a little friend named Baba that I recently met at the San Diego Zoo.

    Baba is tree pangolin from Central Africa. Pangolins are mammals with strong muscles in their limbs and a prehensile tail that live along the edges of the rain forest.  There are eight species – four in Africa and four in Asia. Pangolins have sharp claws to help them dig, which you can see in this photo as Baba so gently digs into the keepers arm. They have a very good sense of smell to help them find ants, termites, and beetle larvae – the pangolins main diet.

    Since they do not eat anything that requires teeth, pangolins have no teeth. Instead, they have a long tongue that can be up to 10″ long – that’s one big tongue capable of lapping up lots of ants and termites. I was told that the zoo makes a sort of soup for Baba with the necessary nutrients needed to keep him healthy.

    Pangolins are covered in hard scales that remind me of a pine cone. These scales are used for protection. When the pangolin feels threatened, they will roll up into a ball (similar to an armadillo) and the scales act as armor.

    Sounds great right? Well, the drawback is these scales are made of keratin and like the rhino’s horn, the pangolin is hunted by poachers for this and other things. The pangolin meat is considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam and Chinese Traditional Medicine believes that the keratin has medicinal powers when it is ground into a fine powder. Pangolin skin is used for making boots, much like a snake skin boot and some still believe that the scales will ward off evil spirits.

    Although this particular species of pangolin is not endangered, it is classified as near threatened. Two other species are listed as endangered. Of the eight pangolin species, only three are considered stable in the wild. For more information on the endangered status of the pangolin go here.

    Pangolins may look like an armadillo or appear to be related to the anteater, but I learned that the pangolin is its own family. The order Pholidota contains only the family Manidae, which has only one genus, Manis.

    Did you know that the pangolin is called the doctor in Tanzania because every part of its body is thought to have healing properties?

  • Endangered Species Monday – Giant Panda

    The giant panda is probably the most universally known symbol for conservation.

    Once widespread through southern and eastern China, the giant pandas current range is a limited area of northwestern China. Poaching for skin and body parts, along with the loss of the giant pandas habitat (bamboo harvesting and human development) are the two main factors that are keeping the Giant Panda on the endangered species list. Despite the many efforts made by China and successful panda breeding centers like the San Diego Zoo, the future of giant pandas is uncertain. While the numbers are thought to be increasing, there is still work to be done to save these beautiful animals.

    For more information about the giant pandas, what is being done to save them, and what you can do to help visit the WWF website worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda

  • Endangered Species Monday: Black Rhinoceros

    Sticking with the theme of rhinos this month, today’s featured endangered species is the Black Rhinoceros. As one of the five remaining rhino species, the black rhino is one of three classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.

    According to the International Rhino Foundation, the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) has suffered from the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species. The poaching epidemic ran rampant from 1970 to 1992 and the species decreased by 96% – from 65,000 down to 2,300 in the wild – that is a huge amount of rhinos killed.

    Illegal hunting and poaching of the black rhino for its horn have devastated the population over the last three decades. Its range has been reduced to scattered pockets in remote areas and reserves that are patrolled. In areas where poaching is common and not easily controlled, game wardens with the help of organizations like WWF will tranquilize the animals before moving them to sanctuaries. Dehorning the rhinos in some regions has helped to protect them from poachers, but there are mixed feelings about this form of conservation.




    Did you know?

    • The black rhino can’t see objects in detail beyond a range of about 100 feet.
    • The rhino’s horn is used in Asia as a medicinal ingredient and ounce for ounce costs more than gold.
    • The black rhinos prehensile upper lip helps it to grasp and eat vegetation
    • Black rhinos live 30-35 years in the wild, but 45 years or more in captivity. 
    • In 2011 the Western Black Rhino subspecies was declared extinct. 
    • The Black Rhino has two horns made of compressed keratin – basically hair and fingernail material. (Not medicine)

    To date there are approximately 4,800 black rhinos left in the world. Thanks to conservation efforts the species is slowly coming back from the brink of extinction, but the black rhino is not out of the woods yet. Stand up for rhinos on September 22 – World Rhino Day – and spread the word that rhino horn is not medicine.

    Find out what you can do to help save the black rhino by visiting these websites.

    WWF
    International Rhino Foundation
    Saving Rhinos

  • Endangered Species Monday – Northern White Rhino

    For some September means back-to-school and the hopes of a new fall wardrobe. For me, September means something a little different. It means a month filled with creating awareness and celebrating the beautiful rhino on World Rhino Day, September 22.

    This year marks the Third Annual World Rhino Day. In 2010 the WWF-South Africa announced World Rhino Day and the following year it became an international success with the joint effort of Lisa Jane Campbell of Chishawke Ranch in Zimbabwe and Rhishja Cota-Larson of Saving Rhinos is the United States. Encompassing both African and Asian rhino species, World Rhino Day both celebrates the beautiful rhino and educates people about the myths of rhino horn. Rhino horn is not medicine.

    Each Monday I will  be featuring a different endangered species and what better way to start this new weekly post series than with the rhino. Sadly, the Northern White Rhino is all but gone.

    Nola resting at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park – May 2012

    With only seven left in the world, two (Nola and Angilfu) at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, one (Nabire) at the Dvůr Králové Zoo, and four (Sudan, Suni, Najin, and Fatu) living at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya where they are protected from poachers, this subspecies is tragically coming to an end.

    Javan Rhino – Sumatran Rhino – Greater One-Horned Rhino – Black Rhino – White Rhino
    5 Rhino Species Forever


    For more information about World Rhino Day events in your area visit WorldRhinoDay.org and to get the latest news, information, and educational content about rhinos visit SavingRhinos.org

    Photo credit: World Rhino Day poster image is courtesy of Saving Rhinos LLC

  • San Diego Zoo Safari Park Tiger Trail Challenge Update

    Many of you have been following Dylan’s birthday wish for the tigers at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and have asked for updates. Well, this update has me beaming with pride for more reasons than one.

    I received an email yesterday from one of my contacts at the Zoological Society of San Diego about Dylan’s fundraising and couldn’t believe what I was reading. I found out that Douglas Myers, CEO of the Zoological Society of San Diego, referenced Dylan as an inspiration for others to donate to Tiger Trail during a luncheon earlier this month. Really? My child was named as an inspiration by the CEO? Not only is this super cool, but it makes me proud and humbles me as a mom.

    Since my last post about his fundraising, Dylan has received more donations and has now raised over $1,300 for the tigers. With the match from the anonymous donor, this money will mean so much for the tigers. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is so close to making the goal, but they still need our help.

    Here is a current screen shot showing how close they are. More than half way with a little over 120 days to go. It’s truly amazing and so inspiring to know people are helping the species survive.

    With fewer than 350 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, watching this bar graph move closer to the $2 million goal gives me hope. Thanks to the help of my son’s birthday wish, friends and family who donated, and people all over the world who have helped make this happen, the Safari Park has announced that they look forward to groundbreaking in 2013.

    If you wish to help Dylan raise more money for the tigers please read Dylan’s Birthday Wish for the Tigers

  • The power of one

    A few of the feelings that go through my head on a daily basis … Encouraged. Motivated. Empowered. Helpless. Disappointed. Sad. On top of the world. The world on my shoulders. Strong. Wise. Teaching. Learning. Making a difference.

    It’s a lot I know, especially for me –  A simple girl just trying to save the world. 

    Some days I feel like nobody is listening and feel like banging my head against the wall. Some days I sit crying wondering if I could have done more. Then there are the days when I get that one email, that one comment on the blog, that one retweet – Behold the power of one. Those are the days that keep me going. Keep me fighting the good fight.

    I have always loved animals and wanted to help endangered species, but the day I knew it was more than just a love of animals, the day I I knew I was a conservationist was the day I saw a Blue Whale swimming freely in the ocean. Blue Whales are the largest animals to ever live on the earth.

    They are beyond majestic and their size is incomprehensible even when you see them in the ocean. One Blue Whale can weigh as much as 30 African elephants – that’s huge! Despite their size, Blue Whales are still critically endangered.

    From that day forward, I knew that my purpose in life was to be an advocate for the animals. To save the animals. To save their habitats.

    I have been told by many that one person can make a difference and I have seen the positive results of what one person can do. However, the power of one can be a very lonely place.

    I was discussing this with a friend the other night and they had some very encouraging words. Yes, the power of one can be a lonely place. Yes, it can be depressing and overwhelming. But for some reason we keep on doing what we do. It’s deeper than we understand sometimes. Those last few words resonated deep within my soul and reminded me that not everything is fully understood.

    I do not understand why someone would want to kill a rhino for its horn, or kill an elephant for its tusk, or kill a tiger for its fur and bones, or eat shark fin soup and frog legs. These are living creatures that are massacred and left to die a sometimes slow and painful death. Some people may not understand why I am fighting for a cause that seems so unattainable. A cause that is of global reach – well, that is OK. Sometimes not understanding is how we learn.

    So I will continue to be an advocate for the animals that have no voice. I will continue to fight for their habitats. I will continue to spread awareness – and when I reach that one person, the one person who says Aha, I get it now…

    That is when I will smile and remind myself how great the power of one is.

  • Today is World Elephant Day!

    Today we celebrate the majestic beauty of elephants. Let’s keep ivory where it belongs.

    Ivory belongs to the elephants.